The Denver Broncos were back on the practice field on Thursday as organized team activities continued at Broncos Park powered by CommonSpirit.

Denver Broncos QB competition continues

Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham performed sharply during Thursday’s OTA practice. In various team period sessions, Nix and Stidham received the first reps, followed by Zach Wilson.

Nix was methodical and consistent during the afternoon, connecting with Josh Reynolds, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Michael Bandy, and Phillip Dorsett in the team periods. One play saw him deliver a beautiful strike to Reynolds for a 20+ yard gain on an outside throw.

Last week, Nix had several passes that were behind receivers, but that wasn’t something that occurred on Thursday. While Stidham had the longest play of the day, Nix was consistently moving the chains with outside throws and throws across the middle of the field.

In regard to Stidham, he had a good day as well. The longest play of the day referenced above saw Stidham deliver a 55-yard strike to Marvin Mims, who got behind JL Skinner and Tremon Smith for a touchdown.

Aside from his connection with Mims, Stidham connected with Jalen Virgil, David Sills, Michael Burton and a handful of others in the passing game.

Both Nix and Stidham played mistake-free on Thursday.

Zach Wilson had a better day in comparison to last week, taking a more conservative approach to what the defense was giving him.

Other Broncos who stood out on Thursday

While all eyes have been on the Broncos quarterback competition, there’s plenty of other position battles to watch for that are taking place during OTAs.

Ja’Quan McMillian stood out during Thursday’s practice. For a second consecutive week, the young cornerback continued to make plays on the football in the slot and on the outside.

He had two pass breakups on the afternoon, including a terrific last-minute knock away on a tightly contested Lucas Krull catch. McMillian has looked like a prime candidate for the cornerback job opposite of Patrick Surtain on the outside.

Jalen Virgil hauled in several catches on the day from Nix, Stidham, and Wilson, continuing his comeback from knee surgery that knocked him out of last season.

Josh Reynolds continues to showcase his reliability as a big-play pass catcher, hauling in a 20-yard catch from Nix during team drills despite tight coverage from Levi Wallace.

Marvin Mims was the highlight player of the day, hauling in several catches of 10+ yards, including his 55-yard TD from Stidham. He’s primed to have a bigger role this season in Payton’s offense.

Jonah Elliss had a strong afternoon off the edge, sniffing out several outside runs and sniffing out a screen pass attempt by Stidham to Williams. He reads the offensive tackle well and stays disciplined off the edge, not losing contain or getting too far upfield.

His football IQ was on display combined with his athleticism.